What Lies at Sea is a Love Story
by UtsuhoTetsuya
Summary: On a dark night, after stealing from a group of assassins on the coast of Japan, Captain Arthur found an injured man that was previously assaulted by the group. He decides to bring him back to his ship. Slowly, the two fell in love despite Arthur's friends saying that the man he rescued will be his downfall. -AsaKiku- Rated M for sexual contents (Set in the 17th Century)


First and foremost, KT-1511 fans, if you guys are reading this, I am so sorry.. My sis is taking a long time to finish her part.. This is sort of a forgiveness fic..? Too bad if you're not AsaKiku fans though... Oh well~

Anyway, this fic is a requested fic by** letterbee96** and it has nothing to do with any of them being countries! Their human names are used frequently so please take note of who is who. I hope I managed to fill in your request Bee! (Cuz DAMN YOU FOR BEING SO DIFFICULT. Still luv you~) This is my FIRST Hetalia fic after being obsessed with them for the past week! Hope some of you hetalians will enjoy this little story of mine! ^_^

Note: I made research and such on almost everything so please correct me if I misinformed anything! XD

It's a little bit cliché and not really good plot-wise but I hope you'll like it~! GO READ GO!

* * *

**What Lies at Sea is a Love Story**

It was dark as the big trees covered the forest and prevented any light to pass through the lushes leaves and branches. A young man clad in tattered clothing ran as fast as he could. In his left hand was his father's sword, a katana that was already stained with blood. The man's village was ambushed by a wondering group of assassins. They were all caught off guard. The man's heartbeat quickened as he heard his pursuers catching up. His family was killed, his friends brutally slashed; who knows whether there were survivors or not. He was lucky to have been awakened by the noisy crickets.

He never stopped running. He knew it was all over if he stopped. His feet stung from running in his waraji (straw sandals). Thankfully he actually had time to put them on and grab his father's sword. He had learned the way of the samurai from his father but he never had the chance to apply it in real life. He was scared, he was terrified, he felt trapped. There were at least 5 of them behind him and they were fast on their feet. They were trained assassins that went rogue and decided to just kill whoever that was in their way; innocent or not.

After running non-stop, the young man reached the edge of a cliff beside the sea. The rocks on the bottom were sharp and the water was vicious. The Sun had set and the night was coming. The young man looked downwards at the waters and thought to himself,_ 'I rather jump and die than be killed by those men.'_ With a strong resolve, he ties his father's sword to his obi and the young man jumped. He braved himself for the impact that was to come. As his body hit the water, he felt a thousand needles piercing his body, his mind became unclear and his eyesight taken. It was only a few seconds later when he lost his consciousness.

The assassins had seen the young man jump but none dared to follow his example. The leader of the group looked down from the edge of the cliff, "He is the son of that traitor. We must not let him escape. He is still alive. It would take more than that to kill him."

One of the members replied, "Sir, I calculate that he will drift to shore in a few hours should he still be alive. He may already be on the way if he is still conscious. There is only one place he will drift to when the tides flow in this direction. I will take you there."

The leader of the assassins trusted his underling who had lived on the island as well, "We shall wait for him there."

* * *

On a ship at sea, a captain lazily yawns as he scratches his cheek, "Can't we go any faster?"

"Captain, she has never gone any faster!" replied a crewman.

"Really now? Well, she's not that fast anymore then!"

Another crewman replied, "I think it's just you captain..."

The blond captain grinned, "Lighten up boys, we're gonna get to land and still more booty!"

"Aye Captain!"

The ship master navigated the ship with expert hands. It took quite a while before they saw land. The captain's face brightened up tremendously, "Land! Prepare the anchor! I'll go check out the shore! You, you and you! Come with me!"

The entire crew missed the drifting man that was just reaching shore. It was the young man that had jumped off the cliff. The night was dark and calm. When the young man reached shore, his mind started to function again. Reflexively, the young man coughed up the water that had entered his lungs. His clothes were heavy and his mind fuzzy. Before he could even grasp the situation at hand, his ponytail was grabbed roughly as he was forced to stand. The young man groaned in pain. His captors twisted his arms behind him and brought him to face their leader.

"Well well well. You didn't disappoint me Kiku."

The young man glared at the leader, "I wasn't trying to impress you."

"You truly are your father's son. He used to glare at me with those eyes as well. Too bad I missed it just now when my men killed him."

At hearing that, the young man's strength returned. With renown force, he released his own hands and withdrew his sword. He swung it at the men surrounding him, shocking them with his agility and ability to use the katana. He managed to disarm three of them and harm 5 of them. The group took a few step back, almost in fear. The leader smirked, "Such fierceness. You should join us, Kiku. You'll make a great addition."

"Go to hell."

The leader's smirk disappeared and a glint of darkness clouds his eyes. The leader scanned the young man's exposed body due to his tattered clothes from running hurriedly through the thorny forest and hitting the rocky waters. How the water made his skin glistened in the moonlight, "Then perhaps you can provide a different use." The assassins grinned as they understood what their leader was talking about.

The young man, Honda Kiku, took note of the eyes that were eating him. Kiku took a step back. He knew what those eyes meant, "Stay away from me!"

Kiku's tattered clothing revealed his upper left thigh, his right chest and a clear view of his neck and back. The leader walked up towards him, "What's wrong, Kiku? What are you scared of?"

Fear took over Kiku and his guard was accidentally let down. As he took slow steps backward, the group that was hiding behind him caught him by the neck and held him tight, "No! Let me go!"

In a matter of seconds, he felt hands all over him; tearing his clothing and grabbing different parts of his body. But Kiku was not going to let them have it their way even though he was outnumbered. Still, he was in a rather helpless state. He could feel the rough surface of tongues licking his nipples, neck and cock. There were also hands squeezing his private region and a few pair of hands were spreading his cheeks. When Kiku felt two dry fingers protruding him, Kiku screamed in pain and regained strength to hold his katana properly. He managed to punch, kick and even slice some of the men surrounding him. Unfortunately, the leader gripped his wrist that carried the katana before punching him hard in the stomach. Kiku coughed up blood and his eyes became clouded. The leader smirked, he may not obtain Kiku's strength but his body would have to do. The leader tossed Kiku's limp body on his shoulder. All of a sudden, a gunshot was heard, "_Oi oi oi! We're taking over this place!_"

The assassins turned and pointed their swords towards the man with the feathered hat and his men. They were speaking english too. One of them that knew English very well replied, "Who are you, you insolent fool?!"

"Insolent? Who? Me? I don't think I am though.. What do you guys think hmm?" he asked his crew.

"Captain, can we kill'm?" asked one of his crew.

The blond man hummed thoughtfully, "Hmm... Well, they don't seem so useful.. Why not? Load your guns boys!"

More gunshots were heard. The assassins were no match towards western firearms. Most of them dropped dead immediately. In the end, the last one standing was the leader with Kiku still on his shoulder. The feathered hat man approached the leader, "Claiming a prize?"

The leader simply smirked. Pirates were a rare sight in their place but seeming that they were on the edge of the country, obviously they'd be vulnerable towards pirates. The leader was unaware that Kiku had regained consciousness. When Kiku's mind grasped the situation, he instinctively grabbed the wakizashi* that was still in his torn sleeve. Kiku didn't hesitate to stab the man from the back. The leader groaned in pain much to the captain's surprise. The leader fell hard on the ground with Kiku rolling away from him. Kiku coughed up some more blood as he tried to get up. His hands trembled to hold his body up. In the end, his body finally gave in completely and he fell back on the ground unconscious.

The captain scratched the back of his head, "Well... That was easy I guess." His attention went towards the man that had stabbed the leader earlier. The dark clouds in the sky started to make rain fall. The water washed up the blood and flowed into the shallow waters of the shore. As the blonde reached the man, he realized that he was still breathing. The captain held the young man in his arms. He was entranced by the young man's face and long hair. His clothes were torn and barely covered up his body. The blond took notice of the blackening wound on the young man's stomach. He brushed his hand over it and saw the grimace formed on the young man's face.

_'I can see why he is a prize.'_

"Captain? We've collected the loot!"

"Alright, let's go back to the ship." His crewman loaded what they could into the boat; swords and other tradable valuables. The captain took off his coat and wrapped it around the young man's body. He carried the young man bridal style back to the boat where his men were waiting. They were shocked beyond comprehension when they saw the captain not only carrying the person but to even give his coat away was something even more shocking, "Blimey Captain! You alright?" "The rain must be gettin' to his head!"

"Calm yourself. I'm just bringing extra loot for the journey."

As they reached the ship, the rope ladder was released downwards towards them. The rain was not much to endure for them because they were used to it. When the captain came on board, everyone had a shocked face. Their captain who cared not one bit for women had actually brought one onto the ship. "Well Cap'n, she's a beauty!"

"Not a she you scallywag." replied the blonde in a sarcastic tone.

It was a long silence until, "HUH?!" "Shiver me timbers! The Cap'n swings 'that' way?!"

The blond captain sighed, "Honestly... I'll be in my quarters. Navi! (Navigator) Take us north!"_  
_

"Aye Captain! Alright lads, weigh the anchor and hoist the mizzen!"

Everyone got into their position and prepared the ship for sailing. The blond captain walked into his quarters and placed his prize on his bed. There was something special about his ship; there were bathrooms available. One in the captain's quarters and one down below. It was a privilege because the captain had a thing for cleanliness. Therefore, they weren't REAL pirates. Just scavenging the world for its riches. The captain of the ship was named Arthur Kirkland, a traveller and a fierce leader. He took off his wet shirt and went on to examine his prisoner. Arthur proceeded to undress what was left of the young man too. The blond was a bit puzzled by the young man. His prisoner was soaked to the bone even though the both of them were out in the rain for the same amount of time.

_'Was he drowning?'_ Arthur had his men prepare a bath with the water they collected at their previous stop before he rowed to shore earlier. Arthur took off his remaining clothing and picked up the other in his arms. That was when his hands felt the overwhelming heat of his prisoner. _'He's having a fever already.'_ The blond captain entered his bathroom that had a bathtub. It was filled with hot water that was boiled by the crew. Arthur slowly entered the tub and submerged both of their bodies. Kiku was placed in between Arthur's legs. The captain was careful not to wake the unconscious prisoner. Arthur figured that washing the hair would be a good idea as well. Kiku's ponytail was released from its ties. His long hair flowed slowly over his shoulders and Arthur's chest.

Arthur's hands were fascinated with Kiku's body. Kiku would groan when touched at certain parts and would sigh in bliss when touched somewhere else. Arthur could feel himself getting turned on. His prisoner was helpless in his arms topped of with a fever. Arthur smirked and decided to tease the wanton body. The blond captain placed light kisses on his prisoner's neck as his hands roamed into more sensitive places. Arthur started marking Kiku's neck while his hands teased the prisoner's cock and nipple. Not long after, Kiku started panting lightly and unconsciously opened up more for Arthur to have his way with him. He exposed more of his neck and opened up his legs.

Arthur smirked,_ 'Such a lewd body he has. This will be fun'_ Still, Kiku was still in a feverish state. He didn't last too long in the tub. Arthur was careful of that too. Eventually he wrapped the both of them in warm towels. Arthur dried of Kiku carefully before putting on a comfortable wear for his prisoner to sleep in. After placing his prisoner on his bed and tucking him in, Arthur put a cold wet cloth on Kiku's forehead. The blond captain rarely slept, so he just sat across his bed and watched his prisoner sleep. When Kiku stirred, Arthur would change his wet cloth. When Kiku sweated profusely, he would wipe it off. He was a pirate in many sense but Arthur had a hygienic life on ship and treasured his loot.

However, things weren't the same from the prisoner's point of view. Arthur was going to face a person that he would never have imagined had such an attitude.

* * *

_Kiku was in a dream... His heavy body was light and he felt as though he was floating... In the far distance, he could see his family happily waving to him. Was he leaving his home? How fascinating... Kiku realized he was being pulled by another person. This person was the one taking him away from his village. He tried looking at the person's face but he couldn't somehow... This person had warm hands and wore unique clothing. There was a coat draped over him and he was wearing a feathery hat._

_The scene suddenly changed and Kiku realized he was sitting on a bed. The man that had previously dragged him was behind him. Both of them were stark naked. The man's hands did wonders to his body and somehow, he didn't felt like stopping him. Kiku felt pleasure rising in his body and mind. It was a wonderful sensation. The man whispered sweet words into his ear and continued pleasuring him. Suddenly, more hands came for him. Kiku then realized that the scene had changed to when he was held by the assassins._

_He panicked and tried to set himself free but so many were holding him down and they were holding him harshly. He gasped at the pain he felt from their crushing hands and without thinking, he called a name he had never heard of. _

Kiku snapped out of his dream and jolted up from bed; panting. His mind quickly forgot about his dream and instead tried to grasp his current situation. The young man's hands felt the soft blanket and his eyes scanned the room he was in. He also took note of the western robe he had on; pretty much the same as a yukata. He quickly got off the bed and started to panic. Where on earth was he?

He heard noises outside, similar to men screaming and shouting. They were speaking English. _'Pirates...?'_ Kiku thought. He searched the room for some sort of weapon and found a small dagger. He was skilled in using a wakizashi so using a dagger wouldn't be so difficult. Kiku hid the dagger in his sleeve and went on to open the door. When he did, all the men that was in his view stopped doing whatever they were doing. Some were pulling ropes, some were scrubbing the floor while some were just talking. They stared at him hard until one of them shouted, "Looks like the little princess is awake!"

One of them walked towards him with bread in his hands, "Care for some breakfast, princess?"

When he came close enough, Kiku withdrew his dagger and almost attacked the man but someone had jumped between them, "Well well well, isn't someone in a grumpy mood?" Arthur had jumped from the poop deck just in time to save one of his men from getting sliced. Arthur's sword clashed with Kiku's dagger. Kiku glared at Arthur with hatred in his eyes. Arthur sighed, "Is this how you repay my good debt, princess?"

"**_Why did you bring me here?_**" Kiku asked fiercely, still holding his position with the dagger still clashing with Arthur's sword.

"Oh? No English?"

Kiku knew English well. He wouldn't be trading items with other English speaking travelers that visited the port near his home if he didn't. He just wanted to retaliate but he was suddenly caught in the captain's eyes. There was something about them that reminded him of something. Then, his brain remembered the nightmarish dream he had; he remembered a man smiling at him with beautiful green eyes and blond hair. It was no doubt that the man in front of him had appeared in his dream.

Noticing that Kiku let his guard down for a second, Arthur swung his sword and disarmed Kiku. In a swift motion, he grabbed Kiku's arms and twisted them behind him; holding him in place. Arthur was behind Kiku in a split second and was almost holding him in place for all to see. The young man quickly tried fighting back but his body froze when he saw the situation resembling a similar scene from last night. Kiku was in the exact same position he was before the assassins almost violated him. Arthur was laughing, "What's wrong? Kitty's behaving now?"

The crew laughed too but Arthur took note of Kiku's trembling hands and body. Arthur saw immense fear in Kiku's eyes. When one of the crewman came closer, Kiku backed further into Arthur's chest. The blond captain knew it was no laughing matter anymore. There was a reason why Kiku's clothes were tattered and torn the previous night. The crew read their captain's face and put on serious faces. Arthur released Kiku. The young man didn't move. Arthur tried grabbing his shoulder but Kiku simply slapped it away. Arthur saw the panic in Kiku's eyes. _'This is bad. He's in a traumatic state.'_

"Hey! You can't do that to the Cap'n! Show some respect you little piece of-!" The crew tried grabbing Kiku, wanting him to kneel for forgiveness. Arthur didn't have time to stop them when Kiku suddenly screamed in fear, "_Let go of me!_"

In a haze and quick motion, everyone instead of trying to force him to ask for forgiveness, they were just trying to hold him down but that only made Kiku more hysterical. Even the navigator joined in. Thus the ship's helm (steering wheel) took a sudden turn out of control to the left. Everyone was affected and all of them slid to the left but Kiku fell off the edge of the ship; not used to its maneuvers. Someone managed to stir it back into position. Everyone looked below to see if he was alright but the captain immediately took off his coat and shoes and dove in. He grabbed Kiku and resurfaced. Kiku was holding onto him tightly without saying a word. The rope ladder was let down and the two of them were pulled back onto the ship.

When the captain stepped on deck with a still trembling Kiku in his arms, the crewmen became quiet. Arthur's eyes were glaring at all of them. They could feel his anger and a punishment coming along. The smallest punishment was 10 hits by Cat O'Nine Tails (a whip with nine strands) or more... But Arthur simply asked all of them to get back to work while he was in his quarters. The crew responded half-heartedly as they watched their captain enter his room. Arthur gently sat on the floor and tried coaxing Kiku to calm down. When the young man's trembling stopped, Arthur teasingly kissed his neck. Immediately, Kiku backed away with a blush on his face, "**_What do you think you're doing?!_**"

"Hahaha! You're cute when speaking with your mother tongue!"

Kiku glared, "We do not call men cute."

"Oh so you do speak English! Well, that makes things a lot easier."

"Why did you bring me here?" Kiku asked seriously.

"How about we do some intro first? My name is Arthur Kirkland. Captain of the ship."

Kiku looked at the man's face, "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, wouldn't you be dead already if you couldn't trust me?"

That sentence silenced Kiku. The man was right. Last night, he remembered hearing gunshots and stabbing the assassin leader. What happened after was beyond his memory. However, if he asked Arthur to take him back, what good would it do? He had lost his family, his home, and the people in his country were after him because his father betrayed them. What good would it do to go back anyway? Besides, Arthur was kind enough to rescue him from the waters without a second thought.

Arthur stood up and extended his hand to help Kiku up, "You know what? It's fine. Just follow me to get dried up. You need to eat and stay hydrated or your fever might worsen."

Kiku stared at the hand and reached out for it, "H-Honda..."

"Hmm?"

"My name.. is Honda."

Arthur knew very well of the first name and family name rule in Japan. And he knew that 'Honda' was only a family name, "Is there a first name that comes with that?" But Kiku kept quiet and stared at the ground, "No."

Arthur smiled, "Come here then, Honda." He said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Kiku sat on the floor between Arthur's legs and allowed the other to dry his long hair using a towel. The blond lowered his head and was about to a place a kiss on Kiku's neck when suddenly Kiku said, "If you dare to assault me again without my permission, I will break your face."

For some reason, Arthur didn't think Kiku was lying. It was going to take a while to tame the wild cat. Afterwards, Arthur came out to introduce Kiku formally to his crew. Kiku found out that the men were very kind and welcomed him warmly. The next few days at sea was fun to Kiku. It was interesting to see how they catch fish, drink, and just enjoy life. They steal and travel and trade for a living. At night, Arthur had offered Kiku his bed but he preferred sleeping with the rest of the crew. All of them took turns sleeping so there was no 'real' bedtime. Without letting Kiku find out, Arthur had actually forbade anyone sleeping when Kiku was sleeping to avoid anyone from harassing him.

Kiku was beautiful in many aspects for a man. Most of the crew only knew that after getting a closer look at him. His hair was always tied in a high ponytail and he always wore Arthur's coats because those were the closest to his normal daily clothing in his home country. Eventually, Arthur managed to coax him into wearing a pair of long pants and a shirt. Though that caused more eyes to ogle his slender body. The crew adored Kiku too. Kiku was kind and smiled a lot. When they found out he had lost his family too, they started treating him like family. Arthur's ship was full of orphans that grew up with him, all of them knew what it felt like to not have a family. Kiku wasn't exactly pirate material but he managed to keep himself busy. Kiku too had an issue with hygiene so he would be the one washing the dishes and cups. Arthur said it was fine since they don't normally eat using plates but seeing them spotless made eating on plates that much more desirable.

The ship was full of wonderful supplies of ingredients but instead, the crewmen eat vegetables raw and simply roast protein when they had any. Kiku wasn't used to eating that way so he asked Arthur for permission to use the kitchen. When he was approved, he started boiling vegetables to create a broth and added some meat and seasonings to it. The smell of the stew reached the noses of the crewmen on the ship. Even Arthur was intrigued by it. When they came downstairs to the kitchen, they saw Kiku with a handkerchief tied over his head, and an apron tied around his body. The young man was stirring a pot of the delicious-smelling stew and already had bowls and spoons set on the tables they used for eating. Kiku turned and smiled at them, "Stew anyone?" Ever since then, Kiku would cook dinner for all of them. Even Arthur enjoyed his cooking. Afterwards, as the days pass by, Kiku took over most of the chores that the crew hated like laundry or dusting the beds. The ship was the cleanest ship Arthur had seen.

As the journey at sea continued, they stopped at many ports. At first, the crew (and even Arthur) thought that Kiku might make a run for it but instead, Kiku clung onto Arthur. The outside world scared Kiku in many ways than one. Arthur spoiled Kiku and his crewmen too. He would buy supplies and beers for his men and for Kiku, he bought more clothes and a special gift. When they were walking in a market, Kiku actually stopped to admire a medium-sized trinket box that was adorned with pressed flowers. It was beautiful and rather cute. Arthur saw the eager face Kiku was making as he admired the box. When they were back on the ship, Arthur tossed a wrapped item to Kiku, telling him to treasure it. That night, when Kiku unwrapped it, it was the box he saw at the market. Kiku hugged the box. Unbeknownst to him, Arthur was looking from the staircase; simply wanting to see his reaction.

When Kiku smiled happily while hugging it, Arthur concluded, "So he likes cute things, huh?"

The next few days, Arthur locked himself in his room much to the crew's dismay. All of them thought he was sick so they requested Kiku to go check what was wrong. At first, Kiku was afraid but seeing the crew's worried faces, he mustered all the courage he had to knock on Arthur's door. He didn't get a respond so Kiku simply let himself in despite his polite intuition not to. When he entered, he saw Arthur sleeping on his chair with an unfinished embroidery product on his lap. Kiku took the blanket on Arthur's bed to wrap him up. He knew Arthur rarely slept so this was the first time he ever saw the sleeping blond. Just as Kiku was about to drape it over Arthur, he saw the design on the cloth. It was similar to the flowers on his box except there were butterflies and cute animals along with it. Kiku was so distracted by the adorable design, he almost didn't realize Arthur stirring. When his hand moved, Kiku panicked and just swiftly tossed the blanket at Arthur and exited the room.

"So, how is he, lad?"

Kiku stiffened, "Um... He'll be fine."

Later that night, Kiku had trouble sleeping so he simply watched the water flow beneath the ship. It was calming. The others were busy fixing the sails and some were napping. Arthur tapped Kiku's shoulder, "Honda, aren't you sleeping?"

"In a while more. I'm not so sleepy right now." Kiku noticed Arthur's red face, "Arthur, is something wrong? Your face is re-"

Arthur cut him off, "The box, do you like it?"

Kiku smiled widely, "Yes, thank you very much, Arthur."

The blond blushed at seeing Kiku's happy face. It was even more cuter up close, "Have you used it yet?"

"No, not yet. I'll wait until I have something precious to put in it."

'_So, it's his treasure box...'_ "W-Well, here!" Arthur shoved a white cloth at Kiku's chest and just ran off into his room. Kiku was dumbfounded at first until he opened the folds; it was the handkerchief he previously saw on Arthur's lap. At the bottom right of the cloth was the cute design of the flowers and animals. All those days he spent cooped up in his room was just to make the handkerchief for him. Kiku smiled and that night, he used his box for the first time. As a return gift, Kiku kissed Arthur's cheek the very next morning saying, "Good morning, Captain." Arthur and his crew were shocked beyond reason. Kiku simply walked happily away. Soon, all the other crewmen were begging for a 'Good Morning' kiss as well. Arthur took the kiss as a 'Yes' for having fun with Kiku but all he got was a black eye and a bleeding nose when he seemingly 'attacked' the cat.

After that day, Arthur realized how difficult it was to keep himself away from pouncing on Kiku. Everyday, his eyes would follow each movement Kiku made; the way he walked, the way he smiled when his crewmen flirted with him. But Arthur was careful not to destroy the trust he had tiredly built between them. As a last result, Arthur simply decided to not even look at Kiku and to completely distract himself away. However, Arthur failed to see how much it had hurt Kiku. Kiku finally thought that Arthur was going to take their relationship one step higher, not try to break it. He admitted, he didn't have a specific preference in terms of gender and Arthur was exceedingly attractive. The Arthur in his wet dreams would pleasure him gently yet in a sadistic manner. The more Arthur ignored him, the more his dreams haunted him. Kiku was glad that no one slept with him at night or they might have seen doing the unthinkable. (Only to him masturbating is 'inappropriate'.)

One day, Arthur's friend Alfred clashed with them at sea. Kiku thought they were being invaded when planks were hitting the ship's edges for people from the other ship to come aboard theirs. However, when the crewmen did nothing, Kiku assumed everything was fine. But the look on Arthur's face...was...questioning. Kiku nudged one of the crewman, "Is Arthur's friend an enemy?"

"Nope. The Cap'n of that ship is just...a wee bit nutsy in the head. That's all!"

"Nutsy?"

Suddenly, another blond came into view, "ARTHUUUUR! Hello!"

Kiku was stunned by the enthusiastic captain but Arthur was just like, "Hello Alfred..."

The man named Alfred ran and hugged Arthur excitedly. He was talking so fast, Kiku was having trouble keeping up with the conversation. Arthur then raised his hand and said, "Alright boys, behave yourselves. We'll be in my quarters if you need anything." And then Alfred shouted to the men on his ship, "Hey you! Bring two glasses and a bottle of champaign! And you guys can come over and party!" And with that, the two captains went into Arthur's room while the pirates on the other ship joined Arthur's ship. Kiku was amazed at the relationship between the two ships. Not only their captains were friends but so was their crewmen. The men gathered everywhere. Some on Arthur's ship and some on Alfred's. It was like a happy reunion.

Suddenly one of them shouted to get the other's attention, "Who wants Honda to cook dinner tonight?!"

"Yeah!" The crewmen from Alfred's ship looked puzzled, "Who is he?" "Doesn't look like a pirate at all..." "What's with that hair?"

Arthur's crewmen introduced Kiku and told their stories together being out at sea and how Arthur rescued Kiku at the shores of an asian country. Alfred's crewmen were shocked when Kiku spoke his mother tongue. "Woah... He is foreign..." "Did you guys say he can cook?"

"Yup! Cooks the best stew I've ever eaten!" "And fries fish like no man could!"

That gave it away and all the men ushered Kiku to the kitchen. Kiku was happy and had a lot of fun with the crewmen. 'The more the merrier', his father used to say. Kiku cooked a large portion for everyone to eat. He had been on the ship for almost 2 months now, he knew what the crewmen liked and disliked. They all watched as Kiku tied his handkerchief around his head and apron around his waist. As Kiku was cooking, one of Alfred's crewmen asked Arthur's crewman, "So, is he like the captain's toy or are we allowed to ruff him up?"

Three of Arthur's men strapped that man down, "DON'T. YOU. DARE. TOUCH. HIM."

"...o-o-k-k.."

Meanwhile, in Arthur's room, Alfred and him were drinking as they sat beside the fireplace. Alfred asked happily, "So, who's the new kid?"

"Just a stray I picked up on the shores."

"Looks like he has class."

"Oh please Alfred, he's out of your league."

"S-Shut up! Why'd you pick him up anyway, that's not like you."

Arthur sank into his chair, "Dunno. He just caught my eye, that's all."

Alfred read Arthur's expression and could see just how important the new crewman was to him, "Arthur. You know we should not have any weaknesses. If Ivan found out, he would-"

"Who said that kid was my weakness?"

"I didn't say he was."

Arthur became quiet. Why did he take Kiku in? Alfred was right though, Kiku had become his weakness. He loved the other to the point of not even wanting to look at Kiku. Everyday, Arthur would control his need to just ravish Kiku right there and then. When Kiku smiled at the other crewmen, Arthur just felt like locking Kiku up in a cage and never let anyone see his face. If he were to ever lose Kiku, he didn't know what he would do.

Alfred got up and saw the the needles and thread on top of Arthur's table, "Hoho! Embroidery? Seriously Arthur?!"

Arthur rubbed his temples at having to deal with his annoying friend. They grew up together as kids and went their separate ways when they were teens. Still, they kept in touch. In their journeys, they made plenty of friends and enemies too. Whenever they clashed at sea, the two couldn't help but to crash at each other's places and simply spend some time together to catch up on stories. Just when Alfred was telling about his trading at a port in China, the door suddenly burst opened, "Captain! Honda went missing!"

Arthur immediately stood up, "What?! Where did you last see him?"

"At the kitchen cap'n!"

Arthur and Alfred ran downstairs to the kitchen only to be greeted by the happy faces of their crew, "Cap'n! Come join us! Honda cooked!"

The two were dumbfounded and then they realized that they wouldn't come down to the kitchen unless there was a crisis. It was the only way to invite them to dinner but Arthur was fuming with rage at the absurd reason they used. Alfred saw his friend's pissed-off face, so he wrapped his arm around Arthur's neck, "Oh c'mon Arthur! Let's join in the feast!"

That night, they happily feasted. Arthur sat at a much further table and watched Kiku serve everyone. Arthur's eyes followed Kiku's every movement._ 'I want to taste him. I want to eat him. I want to tease him and make him moan. I want to-... What am I thinking?'_ Arthur snapped out of his thoughts and finished the water in his cup before slamming it on the table. He went to Alfred and said, "It was nice to see you Alfred. I need to get some sleep now. You're free to leave anytime."

"Alright. Wanna goodnight kiss?"

"Go die, dumbass."

"Hahahaha! Good ol' Arthur!"

Arthur went up the stairs and into his room. Kiku stared as his captain sadly. Just when he thought he could spend some time with Arthur, his captain leaves. Lately, Arthur hadn't been paying much attention towards him. It was kind of painful how Arthur wouldn't even look at him anymore. Without Kiku realizing it, Alfred wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, "Hello~!"

"Um.. Hello..?"

Alfred whispered into Kiku's ear, "You know, a man has his needs~" And with that, Alfred kissed Kiku's cheek and ran off somewhere, laughing like a little kid. Kiku blushed, "What was that...?" Half an hour later, Alfred and his crewmen retreated back to their ship and sailed off. It was a fun night. Usually, everyone would be working even though it was night time but everyone was just so drunk and tired from the reunion that everyone just went to sleep. But not Kiku. He was sitting on his bed thinking about what Alfred had said to him. Perhaps that had something to do with Arthur ignoring him. Having Arthur ignoring him was painful. Kiku toyed with his handkerchief until he finally came to a decision. That night, Kiku put on nothing but the yukata-like robe that Arthur dressed him in the first night he came on the ship.

Kiku went up slowly upstairs and walked to the captain's room. He knocked softly and asked, "Arthur? Are you still awake?"

The door suddenly opened and Kiku was pulled inside. When Arthur closed the door, he slammed Kiku on it, "Why are you here? Do you know what I could do to you right now?"

Kiku took note of Arthur's hazy eyes and the way he was breathing heavily._ 'How long had I kept you waiting?'_ Kiku thought as he looked at the pitiful state Arthur was in.

Arthur grabbed Kiku's wrists and held them up as he hungrily tasted Kiku's lips. His right knee pushed Kiku's legs apart and pressed on his crotch. Kiku let out a gasp as he parted their lips, "A-Arthur!"

Hearing his name being called so wantonly by Kiku caused all sanity to leave Arthur's head. The blond carried the other and tossed him onto his bed. Arthur undressed himself and climbed onto the bed. He continued lavishing Kiku's lips, neck and chest, leaving marks everywhere he could as his hands roamed and explored Kiku's body. Kiku mewled and twitched when his nipples were teased. The buds became hard as Arthur continued teasing them. Arthur untied the robe and completely exposed Kiku's body. Arthur scanned the beautiful creature beneath him. Kiku was blushing when he realized Arthur was just looking at him, "D-Don't just stare at me..."

Arthur smirked, "What else do you want me to do Honda~?" Arthur's hand reached out for the massaging oil he kept in his drawer beside his bed and squeezed some on his hands. He pulled Kiku's left leg over his shoulder and his right fingers explored Kiku's ass. When his pointer found Kiku's twitching hole, he didn't hesitate to push it in. Kiku arched his back and almost screamed at the sensation, "A-AHHH!"

"Do you want more in you? Do you want them deeper?" Arthur asked teasingly as he added another finger and and another one before twisting them around in a scissoring manner. Kiku was a shivering mess as his mind was filled with pleasure. When Arthur's other hand started teasing his cock as well, Kiku could no longer take the sensations and came hard in Arthur's hand. Kiku panted harshly on the bed. Arthur flipped Kiku's body and raised his bottom high. Arthur bended over and whispered into Kiku's ear, "May I have your permission to penetrate you, Honda?"

Kiku blushed at hearing the question. He turned around and faced Arthur, "Kiku...My first name is Kiku..."

Arthur smiled, "May I, Kiku?" The blonde teasingly rubbed his hard cock in between Kiku's cheeks; barely penetrating the eager hole.

Kiku was at his limit, "P-Please Arthur... No more teasing..."

And with that, Arthur pushed his cock inside Kiku's hole in one thrust. Kiku let out a silent scream. His body trembled from the overwhelming pleasure. Arthur let Kiku adjust for a few seconds before pulling his cock out until only the head was inside. Then, he thrust back in with full speed without warning. Arthur continued with the fast pace until he found Kiku's prostate. The moment it hit, Kiku let out such a lewd scream, he swore he could feel Arthur's cock pulsating inside him and it grew bigger, "A-Arthur.. It-It's growing..!"

Arthur was far from comprehending anything already, "Scream again, Kiku." Arthur made sure to hit that one spot every time he thrusted his cock inside. Kiku's knuckles turned white as he gripped the sheets and his throat hurt from all the screaming he had been doing. Arthur released Kiku's ponytail and turned Kiku's body again with his cock still deep inside. The other screamed, "N-No! Do- Don't! ..Hnh! Don't twist it! AGH!" Arthur bend down and entwined both his hands with Kiku's, "Call out my name Kiku."

Kiku complied as the other continued violating him, "Arthur! Hanh...Hyaa! ARTHUR!"

Arthur thrusted faster and harder, "Kiku, I'm coming."

Kiku nodded and kissed Arthur to which the other responded positively. As they reached their climax, Kiku screamed into Arthur's mouth. The afterglow felt wonderful. Arthur was panting heavily as he took out his limp cock from Kiku. The other was already passed out from exhaustion. Arthur smiled and got off the bed to clean up. Suddenly, his mind analyzed the situation and he finally realized what he had just did. A few minutes ago, he was just so sexually frustrated, anyone would do but when Kiku came into his room, he lost himself completely. Arthur sighed, "What have I become?"

Anyway, he helped clean Kiku as well as the bed before finally climbing on it. He hugged Kiku and smelled the wonderful scent of his newfound lover. Kiku was all his. Finally, he had tamed the beautiful cat. The next morning, Arthur woke up alone on the bed but to the sound of water splashing. The blond groggily got off his bed; stark naked. He opened his bathroom door only to see Kiku having trouble to bend and take the dipper that fell out from his hand. Arthur smirked as he surprised Kiku by carrying him, "If you want to take a bath, just get in the tub, not tediously pour the water on yourself."

Kiku pouted, "It's how I take a bath in my country."

Arthur got into the tub with Kiku still in his arms. He was glad he asked his crew to fill his tub the previous evening. Kiku stayed still happily as Arthur massaged his back and leaned his chin on Kiku's shoulder blade. That particular moment as their hands entwined in the water and Kiku leaning back on Arthur's chest; it was as peaceful as it would ever be. Later, after drying themselves, Kiku realized he didn't have any decent clothing to wear back to get to his normal clothing. Arthur shrugged it off and gave him his shirt and pants instead though it looked big on him. When the two opened the door, they sensed a weird atmosphere around the ship. That was when Arthur realized the smug faces his crewmen had. Arthur silently swore. Kiku looked up to him, "What's wrong Arthur?"

Arthur sighed irritatingly, "Looks like the cat was a bit too loud last night.."

It took awhile before Kiku finally understood what Arthur meant. He blushed so hard, his entire face turned red even his ears. Kiku pushed Arthur out and slammed the door. Arthur sighed again, "Looks like it'll be awhile before we go at it again..." (Author's note: LOL)

* * *

Before Kiku realized it, 7 months had passed by. In those few months, they had met up with Alfred a few times and even some of Arthur's other friends like Wang Yao and even Matthew, Alfred's cousin. Kiku never thought that his life would take a turn for the better. Being with Arthur and his crew was just like being with his family. Kiku truly appreciated Arthur for giving him all these but he hated it when Arthur would harass him in front of the others. The crew was generally surprised too at how Arthur allowed himself to get punched or kicked or slapped by Kiku whenever he misbehaved. They rarely had to draw their guns too. It was as though Arthur avoided piracy.

On one afternoon, after they visited another port to resupply, Kiku stared at the waters again. He came to love the ocean; the smell, the sound and its amazing colors. Everyone was busy as usual. Even Arthur was discussing on where to go with the navigator. They had just started sailing again. Fortunately, Kiku heard footsteps nearing him; someone was joining him, "Ocean's a beauty ain't she?"

Kiku did not avert his eyes to see who it was, he was just happy someone was joining him but something did not feel right, "Yes it is..."

"How are you and the cap'n going?"

Kiku smiled, "He's a bit of a 'tsundere' as my country would say."

"Ah, I can see it!"

"See what?"

"That lit'l sparkle in your eyes! Must be fine to have the cap'n as a mate!"

Kiku sensed something was wrong. None of the crewmen approved of his and Arthur's relationship because they all wanted him for themselves and he just realized that in the 7 months he's been on the ship, no one he has ever talked to has a voice like that. Kiku turned to see the face of the man he was talking to. The moment he turned, a cloth was shoved to his face. Kiku couldn't help but to inhale the sweet smell of the cloth before passing out. Suddenly there was a huge explosion in the water on the other side of the ship. Everyone was distracted by it, "Blimey! Cap'n we got some explosions coming!"

Arthur looked out for any enemy ships, "Navi! Keep a lookout!"

"Aye! Captain!"

None of the realized that the explosion was used to balanced the sound of the man with the unconscious Kiku splashing into the water. The man swam away without any of them realizing. Kiku was brought to shore while Arthur and his crewmen sailed away. The crewmen looked for any ship but didn't see any, "Cap'n, the coast is clear!"

_'What was that? Maybe it was just an old detonator...'_ Arthur thought. The explosion wasn't that big and it didn't cause any harm. Arthur continued to sail his ship. The day went on normally. Some of the crewman that usually spent time with Kiku looked for him down below but he wasn't there. "Maybe he's in the cap'ns room." "Probably sleepin' in too." "No stew tonight then..." They all thought Arthur had exhausted Kiku again. One time, Kiku didn't come out for 2 days because of Arthur. It was quite normal to not see Kiku for a day or two.

As night came, Arthur suddenly felt the need to sleep after not sleeping a few nights. He let his crewmen handle the sailing while he went off to his room. Right before he closed his door, he ordered one of his crewman, "Bring Honda to my room."

Most of them were shocked to hear that order, "Cap'n, is he not already in your room?" "He's been missin' all day!"

Arthur looked puzzled, "No, he's been out the whole day."

"Well, he ain't on the beds or in the kitchen!" "We'd be smelling stew if he was!"

The blond's face turned pale. His mind remembered seeing Kiku at the edge of the ship right before the explosion. Then, he wasn't there anymore. _'No, wait... Someone was with him... Right next to him.'_ "Any of you talked to him today?"

Every crewmen looked at each other until one answered, "Not since before we stopped by at the port cap'n"

_'That man... He wasn't my crewman. He must've used the explosion to distract us.'_ Arthur hid his worried facade, "Navi, turn us around."

"But Cap'n, a storm's brewing at South! It might take longer to reach back!"

But when they saw the wrath of their captain; the glint in his green eyes and the glare on his face, their spine tingled. It had been awhile since they last saw their old captain; the fierce and dangerous man he was before he met Kiku, "Are you talking back to me?" he said in a low, raspy voice; obviously showing his anger.

"N-No Cap'n! Alright lads, we're turning her around! Storm's comin' in so you better prepare yourselves!"

When Arthur thought back to where they had stopped, the place looked almost deserted and there weren't many people around. He went back inside his quarters and checked the map. He had visited one of the neutral ports of Russia and they didn't have much supplies due to an upcoming famine._ 'Damn you Ivan...'_ Arthur thought without a doubt. But how did they know he was coming over? Arthur thought hard and remembered seeing Matthew just a few days ago. Matthew had told him to be careful of Kiku because he may the cause of his downfall. Alfred almost said the same thing. Matthew was the only who knew where he was heading to. But he wasn't one with the backbone to do anything; much less plot a way to kidnap Kiku.

Then, Arthur remembered what Alfred said to him in their last clash...

_"Arthur, you need to discard him."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Your crewmen told me. You've been keeping your hands clean ever since you rescued that kid."_

_"You're one to talk. What's this partner thing with Ivan I've been hearing from Wang and Francis?"_

_"Well, as the saying goes-..."_

"...keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn't that right, Alfred?" asked Arthur to himself. It all made sense. Matthew must've told Alfred of his whereabouts seeming that they had great communication with each other even at sea. And Alfred must've been working with Ivan to track him down. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

* * *

Kiku felt strangely cold. When he came to, he realized he was wet. He lifted his face and a huge splash of water hit him. Kiku coughed hard to force the water out of his nose and mouth. He lifted his head again to see what was going on. There was a blinding light shone to his face and it hurt his eyes. He realized he was tied to a pillar and he was sitting on the ground. In front of him were two shadowy figures speaking to each other in a language he couldn't understand.

With a weak voice, Kiku asked, "Who are you? Where am I?"

Then, a distant voice said, "Oh, he speaks English I see."

Footsteps became louder and louder until a man stopped in front of Kiku with a happy smile on his face, "Hello, I'm Ivan. What's your name?"

_'Ivan? He must be the russian Arthur was talking about.'_

Ivan suddenly gripped Kiku's neck with great force. Kiku gasped and tried to breathe but Ivan was completely blocking his breathing system, "When I ask you a question, you answer, got it?"

But all Kiku did was glare at him even when he was in such a state. Ivan smirked as he let go and watched Kiku trying to regain his breath, "You are just how Alfred described you would be."

At hearing that name, Kiku froze,_ 'Alfred...?'_

"He did say he knew how to handle you, so I'll let him take over~" And with that, Ivan got up and left. The blinding light was turned off and Kiku saw that he was in a prison-like room in a ship. Another man came to kneel in front of Kiku. Kiku didn't have to look up, he knew who it was, "Why?... Why did you betray Arthur?"

Alfred's eyes were cold, "I'm the one asking questions here, Kiku."

"..You knew my name?"

"Arthur is like a brother to me. You think he doesn't tell me about you? Or the things he does to you?" Alfred got up and went behind Kiku. His hands unbuttoned Kiku's shirt and started roaming his chest teasingly. Kiku was disgusted, "What are you-!"

But Alfred cut him off, "Or the things that has 'happened' to you?" Kiku realized that they had an audience right outside his cell. It must've been the crew of the ship. Kiku's breath hitched and his body trembled. Alfred whispered into his ear, "Still haven't gotten over that incident, I see."

Kiku was panting in fear. Even though Arthur had been his lover for quite some time, there were times when Kiku would just simply relive the incident and start screaming in the middle of the night. It took a long time for Arthur and the crew to calm him down. It was not something that was easily forgotten and Alfred knew of it too, "Tell you what. You answer my questions and I promise you they won't touch you. Deal?"

For all it was worth, Kiku nodded slowly. He didn't want to betray Arthur but to have 'that' happen to him again would break him and that would break Arthur as well, "...I understand..."

"Good."

What came after that was much worse than Kiku had imagined. He was interrogated and tortured in a short span of time before someone from the deck announced an upcoming ship heading their way. Kiku was whipped endlessly and had a long, deep slash from his shoulder to his lower abdomen. By the time Ivan and Alfred went upstairs, Kiku was a bloody mess. He couldn't think straight either. They wanted to know everything about the ship and its weaponry and he couldn't help but to spill the beans. Kiku was about to faint when suddenly a cloth was forced into his mouth and some sort of cream was applied on the slash at his chest. Kiku's eyes widened as pain rushed through his nerves. The cream caused his wound to burn. He screamed so loud through the cloth but it only absorbed his scream. After a while, the pain reduced. Only then did Kiku realize a man was in front of him.

"I'm sorry Honda..." said the man in a soft voice before he helped remove the cloth from Kiku's mouth.

"...mat..thew?"

"Yes. I'm here to bring you to the deck. I'll help you wear your shirt. Don't try to run when I untie you."

Not like Kiku could move much. His body was just in so much pain. He then felt Matthew giving him a dagger, "My brother was really soft with you just now because he knew you of all people wouldn't be able to bear the real torture but Ivan doesn't know that. He thinks all of that just now was real."

"What...do you mean?"

"Arthur should know as well. We're planning on bringing Ivan down."

Kiku smiled when he understood the plot. It was a smart plan but at a great price for Alfred. Ivan had sent one of his men to capture Kiku without Alfred knowing. Therefore, torturing Kiku was beyond what he had originally planned. Not only did he torture his best friend's lover but he had to act like it was all his plan. If Arthur was foolish and thought this was all on purpose, Alfred would have to pay with his own life. This plan was a gamble between two friends.

"Honda, I need you to listen to me. When you have the chance to escape, take it by all means. Ivan will be going all out and we need you safe. Do you understand me? My ship and Alfred's will come to take Ivan down when he is completely distracted with destroying Arthur. But in the meantime, Arthur's ship will have to take the damage."

"...I understand."

A voice boomed from upstairs, "Matthew! Bring Kiku up here!"

"That's our cue. Pretend to faint Honda." Kiku's hands were tied behind his back and his shirt was put back on. Matthew brought a limp Kiku to deck. It was raining heavily and the water was gushing loudly. Kiku could hear the gasps from Arthur's crewmen when they saw the form he was in. Both ships must've been beside each other. Kiku was placed next to Ivan who held him painfully by his ponytail but Kiku bared with it, "Is this what you lost, Arthur?"

Arthur glared at Ivan. He could see the blood stains on Kiku's shirt. And to see Alfred and Matthew on that ship made him even more furious. He wanted to smack that smug face off of Ivan so badly for touching his beloved. Ivan continued, "I never thought you would ever find love Arthur~ Someone as arrogant and fearsome as you to actually have a weakness is unthinkable. Alfred told me about you ever since you found this little stray. How you don't even draw your gun out anymore or how you live such a carefree life! A life without piracy! You think you can clean off your stained hands?"

Kiku was shocked at listening to what Ivan had said. It was true that Arthur didn't act like a pirate but was it really because of him? All those months of peace were for him?

"Let's see how far you would go to save him. Undress yourself and walk the plank of your ship, Arthur."

Everyone was shocked as Arthur didn't even hesitate to take of his feathered hat and proceeded with his coat. Kiku couldn't bare it anymore. They can humiliate and torture him but no way in hell was he going to let them do that to Arthur. Kiku swiftly drew his dagger and cut of his binds. But his hands didn't stop there. He continued slashing upwards until the dagger sliced off his ponytail as well. Ivan was taken back as Kiku got away from him by cutting his hair. Kiku didn't hesitate to get up and run to the edge of the ship; jumping into the violent waters of the sea. Arthur quickly ordered, "Get Honda back on this ship and prepare to fire!"

Arthur was the first to release canon balls at full power. Ivan clenched his fists, "FIRE!"

Soon, there was a war of firepower and guns and cannons as both ship went on a full throttle with each other. The crewmen managed to rescue Kiku from the waters. When he was back on Arthur's ship, despite the fact that it was during a huge battle, Arthur hugged him, "I'm so sorry Kiku.."

Kiku smiled as he hugged back, "Arthur, I'm safe now. But you must hang on. Alfred and Matthew-"

"I know. I've always known."

"You guys really are the best of friends."

The showdown went on with Ivan's weaponry winning. Ivan's crewmen even invaded Arthur's ship but Arthur managed to kill them off. Still, Ivan's cannons were stronger and easier to reload. It was in the nick of time that Alfred and Matthew's ship came and surrounded Ivan's ship but Arthur's ship was already sinking. Luckily, Alfred and Matthew's crew managed to force Ivan to surrender. Arthur was already ordering his men to get on the life boats. They only had three so everyone had to squeeze in. The first and second had already rowed off to Alfred's ship. The last one was still waiting on Kiku and Arthur.

Kiku held Arthur's hand, "Arthur, we have to go!"

Arthur nodded, "Yes, let's go."

Meanwhile, on Ivan's ship, Alfred and Matthew pointed their guns at him, "Hands up Ivan. Game's over."

"Wow, you two really got me. Especially you Alfred. I never knew you had it in you to do all that."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Ivan was putting his hands up towards the two of them with his back facing Arthur's ship. In his left hand was his gun.

"Drop the gun Ivan!" shouted Alfred.

Ivan smirked. He pointed his gun backwards and shot his last bullet. Alfred and Matthew froze. It was heading straight at Arthur even though Ivan wasn't even looking at his target. Alfred screamed Arthur's name. Arthur and Kiku were walking to the boat when Ivan shot. Kiku looked first and saw the bullet that was going to hit Arthur. Before Arthur could even register Alfred calling out to him, he was pushed forward and fell to the ground. Arthur got up immediately and saw Kiku lying on the edge of the deck, "KIKU!" Arthur ran to him and kneeled down as he held Kiku in his arms. Arthur tore Kiku's shirt to access the wound. The bullet had hit Kiku directly at the heart and he was coughing out blood. Arthur then saw the long slash across Kiku's chest and other wounds he had to brave for the plan to succeed.

"Cap'n! We need to go!" shouted one of the men in the life boat.

Arthur shook his head, "No. You need to go." And he shot the rope holding the boat to the ship. The boat fell down and landed on the surface of the water. He could hear his men calling out to him but Arthur simply held Kiku's hand. Kiku smiled at him and said in a soft voice, "Arthur...**_I will always love you_**..." Arthur smiled back sadly. Although Arthur didn't understand Kiku's mother tongue but that was what Kiku would always say to him whenever they were alone together. Kiku only said it once in awhile when their eyes meet and their hands entwined in such a way that was indescribable to the both of them. Arthur's eyes burned to see Kiku's eyes dying and drifting away slowly. His smile was disappearing. The hand that was squeezing his was slowly losing its grip.

Alfred assumed that the bullet missed when he saw that Arthur was alright on the ground and Kiku was in his arms but the boat was already gone, "Arthur! ARTHUR! Why didn't you get on the life boat?!... I'll send one right away for you and Kiku!"

"No Alfred.." Arthur said loud enough for Alfred to hear through the rain. When Arthur lifted his face, Alfred was shocked to see the tears in his eyes and the sadness in his smile, "A ship goes down with its captain remember?"

Alfred realized that Kiku was no longer with them and the ship was sinking lower and lower, "No...NO! ARTHUUUR!"

"..I'm glad to have met you Alfred. You were a great friend to me."

Alfred wished he wasn't so helpless that he had to see his best friend sink into the sea but he had no choice. Matthew grabbed his cousin's hand and rushed to a lifeboat themselves due to Ivan's ship sinking as well. Ivan was already taken custody on Matthew's ship after Matthew shot Ivan's arm right after he released a shot at Arthur. That stormy night, two ships went down to the bottom of the ocean. Alfred and Matthew came back for Arthur and Kiku but those two were never found. Alfred and Matthew resigned from piracy after capturing Ivan who had invaded their lands after agreeing not to. Alfred had previously asked for Arthur's help and Arthur didn't hesitate to lend a helping hand. Alfred never knew that it would come to such a conclusion.

All of Arthur's crew were given the chance to start a new life and were free to live. Many told of how their captain, a British man fell in love with a Japanese local. There were plenty of twists to the story to the point that the original story died out. Still, they kept in mind of how the love of two people became the downfall for each other; for better or worse. In Arthur's case, after he met Kiku, he started seeing a better life for himself and his crew. In the 7 months they spent on the ship together, they travelled the oceans without piracy and simply lived their life to the fullest. None of them would have taken that short amount of time back. For it was the most peaceful time of their lives.

As the years pass, piracy was disbanded and civilization went up. Countries were built, battles were fought and alliances were formed. It was a peaceful time for the world. (Okay I lied at the start. From here on, it will be the REAL characters from Hetalia.)

In a japanese house, Osaka had just found a small box that drifted ashore. It had beautifully pressed flowers decorating it and it was tightly shut. However, when Japan tried to open it, it opened just fine. Inside the box was a beautiful cloth that had adorable embroidery on it. Japan also found a small book. The paper felt old and the writing was not very clear but he managed to make out most of it. It was like an adventure story of a person and his crew at sea. There were many exciting tales and Japan spent hours reading it. The writer fell in love with the captain and it was the captain who gave the box and the cloth. The person also wrote that no one knew the writer had a diary because it was small and the writer only wrote in it when it was at night; dark and alone.

The story stopped so suddenly that Japan wasn't satisfied. He didn't know what happened to the writer or the captain and his crew. The writer did leave the name of the man the writer fell in love with, 'Arthur'. The last statement in the back of the book was signed off with a pressed chrysanthemum flower. Japan then realized that his name must have been the same as the writer. (Kiku - Chrysanthemum)

Japan could hear Osaka calling him, "Nihon! Igirisu-san is here for you!"

"Ah. Alright." A few seconds later, England was escorted into Japan's room, "Are you busy Nihon?"

"No, I was just reading. How may I help you Igirisu-san?"

"America is doing a meeting in a few hours. It was a last minute thing so I thought I might pick you up... It's not like I'm doing this for you! I just didn't want you to not show up! Not like it's bad if you didn't show up anyway!"

Japan smiled. England was always so honest, "I understand. I thank you for your kindness Igirisu-san."

Japan stood up and was about to leave when he realized that England was just how the writer described 'Arthur'. Japan brushed it off and simply followed England to go visit America. As they were walking, Japan noticed how beautiful England's eyes were and how the 'tsundere' attitude resembled the 'Arthur' in the diary. In the end, curiosity finally got the better of him, "Igirisu-san?"

"Yes?"

"What is your name?"

* * *

**Author's note:** AWWWWW~! Well, that was the longest one-shot I've ever written... I adore AsaKiku to the point that it's almost dangerous... Well,** letterbee96**, I hope you're satisfied with this fic! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed that and stay tuned for more~ (Hopefully... \OuO/...)

Just for the fun for it, this story was inspired by a story my grandfather once told me. He told me of how his Japanese friend's great grandmother fell in love with a British soldier. For years they kept it a secret. Only the British man's crew knew of that woman. They sailed together for many years and lived happily with the acceptance of his crew. They always wished that one day, they will be able to live together without their country going to war. I don't know to what extent this story is true but when he first told me of it, I fell in love with it. My grandfather was a great national laureate, so he might have made it up~ I don't care, it's a beautiful tale to me! \^O^/

I now accept request on Hetalia too! Though I can't guarantee I can write it... It might take a while so if you guys have anything you want, just PM me and I'll see what I can do...


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